Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
He smiled affectionately.Helena had a guess at that response. Cute? Is he into Elsie? If so, I should somehow make the ship sail. Elspeth locked herself up in the room for three days straight ever since they came to Eden. She did not show up every single time Arthur called her for meals.Just as he thought she was going to starve herself to death, she suddenly turned up. Her face was glowing and her hair fell over her neatly dressed clothes.”I thought you were going to starve yourself to death.”
A laidback Arthur leaned against the door, pinching a cigarette between his fingers.Elspeth snorted.
“Thank you for worrying about me. Isabel brought me food every night.”He shifted his gaze onto Isabel, who lowered and scratched her head awkwardly. The scar on her face was recovering well; the burns were almost healed, covered by a new layer of skin. She looked definitely better than before.”Elspeth didn’t want anyone to disturb her. And she didn’t want to see you.”
Isabel was obviously on Elspeth’s side.”Wow. Look at this sisterhood. You guys win. To grant your wish, it seems like I should no longer make the meals.”Elspeth glared at him.
“I’m glad to hear that. Your cooking is not as delicious as Isabel’s.”Isabel hung her head low upon hearing that compliment.
“Actually, the food I brought you every night is the leftovers.””And will there be any leftovers if I didn’t make extra servings?”
A cheeky smile appeared across his lips.His faint smile was so engaging that Elspeth turned her head sideways. She was grateful to him, yet she could not put her ego aside. Thus, she steered the topic away.
“I’ve been giving it a thought these days. I’m going to work in the red light district.”The red light district?!The smile on Arthur’s face faded immediately.
“Don’t you know what kind of place that is?”Forget about safety, how can she work when we’re in this kind of circumstance? Does she have a death wish?”No!”
Even Isabel’s visage went pale.
“Elspeth, don’t be hot-headed. We know what kind of place that is. You mustn’t go there!”If Miss Joneson finds out that Elspeth works as a… at the red light district, she’ll have a heart attack!”Every girl who goes there ain’t gonna come back the same.”
Words escaped through Arthur’s gritted teeth as he was holding in the urge to punch her.”What are you guys thinking?”
The corner of Elspeth’s lips twitched at their worried face.
“I’m going to work there, but not to sell myself. It’s not what you think it is.””You’re not?”
He sighed in relief. He did not know what concerned him, but it felt like someone squeezed his heart when he heard that. Ire rose in him on the account of her decision to work at such a place.”Elspeth, I will never let you go to that kind of place. If you insist, I will tell Miss Joneson.”
A protesting Isabel did not give in still.Elspeth became speechless. Why does this soft girl become all stubborn during crunch time?”Tell me what?”
A soft voice behind them sent them into a trance.
Hearing the voice, Elspeth finally came to her senses and glanced awkwardly at Helena. There was a guilty note in her voice as she said,
“Nothing. I was just considering working.”Helena beamed widely upon hearing that.
“That’s great! We can’t possibly expect Dr. Winthrop to provide for all of us here.”Arthur replied in a gentle voice,
“It’s fine. I can afford to.”At that point, Helena became increasingly self-conscious upon hearing his words.
“That’s not fine! Even if you come from a wealthier family, Dr. Winthrop, you shouldn’t condone Elsie’s slack attitude.”Slack attitude?!At that moment, Elspeth made up her mind and was even more determined to work.
“I’ve made up my mind to work. From tomorrow onward, I’ll return here once a week.”In response, Arthur said calmly,
“You’re allowed to get a job, but it must be a job in my company.”He knows where I want to work but purposely stated this requirement! He’s trying to go against me!At that moment, Elspeth was so enraged that she wanted to punch him.As for Helena, she smiled upon hearing his words and nodded in agreement.
“You’d at least have someone to seek help from if you join Dr. Winthrop’s company. I’d feel much more at ease that way.”
After she said that, she suddenly realized something and asked,
“But then, is your company in the medical field?””Yes.”Instantly, she revealed a surprised smile.
“That’s great, then! Elsie went to med school before, so she should be able to adapt to the environment.””Mom, I don’t want to work there.”
A resigned Elspeth heaved a sigh.
“I’ve already sorted out a job. I’ll be reporting for duty tomorrow.””Your workplace is in the red light district, right?”
Arthur realized he could not convince her, so he had no choice but to bring up the matter and let Helena be the judge.As soon as Helena received that new information, she nearly fainted out of shock. Instantly, Elspeth noticed her troubled look and quickly supported her arm to help her toward a seat. However, she flung Elspeth’s hand aside.
“What sort of place is that?! Are you seriously thinking of working there?!”At the same time, she supported herself on the railing behind her and tried to calm down.
“I know you’re keen to get a job, and I trust that you wouldn’t resort to anything dumb. Tell me, what will you be doing in that company?”Elspeth took a deep breath.
“I was going to keep it a secret from you guys because I was afraid of you all being worried that something bad would happen to me at work. However, Isabel’s condition requires the use of a particular medicinal herb. I’ve made inquiries, and this herb is only available in the private safe of a proprietor in the red light district.””So, are you going to take a risk and attempt to steal it?”
Arthur could not accept this outcome. He clenched his fist tightly, and a stern look flashed across his eyes.”If I managed to purchase it, that’d be great, but if I fail in my bid, I’ll attempt that.”
She shot him a reassuring look and stretched.
“Don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen. I’m not that stupid! I know how to take care of myself.”That being said, the other three individuals, excluding her, shot her dubious looks.Isabel felt touched, but she was also fully aware that this was not a matter that could be taken lightly.
“Elspeth, I don’t mind leaving my face untreated. Having ugly features isn’t a big deal. Anyway, regardless of my features, you guys love me all the same, right?”Elspeth glared at her.
“Your face was injured because of me. I will never be able to forgive myself if I fail to treat you.”
Helena was well aware of Elspeth’s stubborn streak, so she had no other way of stopping her. As for Arthur, he was the only one left with a scrutinizing look as he stared intently at Elspeth….Meanwhile, in Damoria, Callum sat at his work desk and handled some work tasks, but his mind was occupied by something else. Over the past few days, he was in a bad state, which everyone noticed. Even his subordinates, who usually popped over to talk to him about work, visited lesser than usual.There was a matter that he remained confused about. He did not understand why Elspeth, previously infatuated with him, suddenly decided to sever ties with him. Furthermore, she disappeared from his sight forever.Although he had lost a relationship, he had not forgotten his memories with her. They had such a close relationship previously and had been through so much together. He could clearly remember the hardships and hurdles they had overcome hand in hand. So, why did this happen?His assistant stood in front of the glass door warily while looking at the man inside, who appeared to be focused on his work, feeling terrible to interrupt by entering the room.Inside the room, Callum sensed a scorching gaze from the entrance on him, so he slowly lifted his head and saw it was his assistant, whom he asked to enter.”Mr. Winthrop, we’ve received a new order.”
The personal assistant respectfully laced the contract on the table and took a few steps backward.Callum took the contract into his hand and flipped through it casually. Bluestone Corp?”Isn’t that an international company that recently became widely known?””Yes. Bluestone Corp wasn’t that developed previously. The heir to the company returned, and he was the one who brought the company to greater heights.”At that moment, Callum massaged the spot between his eyes.
“Why are they keen to collaborate with us?”His assistant could not comprehend either as both companies had never worked together in the past. Winthrop Group was not exactly top in the medical equipment field either, so it was perplexing why they picked Winthrop Group to work with.”Perhaps… Our company has a better prospect in terms of future development?”In response, Callum bent his index finger and tapped the desk gently.
“I don’t think it’s as simple as that.”
However, the man standing in front was not his subordinate but merely an assistant, so he did not plan to elaborate further.
“Since they want to collaborate with us, schedule a meeting with their president.”As soon as the assistant heard his words, he revealed a torn look.
“Sir, their president mentioned they’re not going to meet us unless we sign the contract.””Not going to meet us…”That was strange and seemed like a trap.”Inform that if they refuse to meet up, Winthrop Group seeks a thirty-percent share of the profit.”Thirty percent?!Beads of cold sweat trickled down the assistant’s forehead. Mr. Winthrop is seeking such an unreasonably large amount! This is daylight robbery! He’s unscrupulous…Suddenly, Callum directed his cold eyes on the man.
“What’s on your mind?”The personal assistant felt his legs turn to jelly upon being called upon.
“N-Nothing… Mr. Winthrop, you’ve made such a great decision. Nonetheless, they mentioned they’d agree to any condition you seek, as long as it’s not over the top and within reasonable means.”At that, Callum’s interest was piqued.
“In that case, I’m now quite keen to meet their president.””Mr. Winthrop, you mean…”Callum reached out for the contract and scanned the document from front to back. He checked and found nothing wrong with it, so he took his pen and signed his name.He penned ‘Callum Winthrop’ on the document with a flourish. Subsequently, he placed the contract on the desk and mentioned calmly,
“Arrange my itinerary and purchase a plane ticket to Eden. Let’s head over to meet the president.”
Elspeth woke up early in the morning. As she had made all the preparations last night, all that was left was to go to work on time.The red light district was quiet in the morning as the businesses were mostly open at night. She came to the area early to familiarize herself with the neighborhood and the route. It was easy to get the information about her destination, but the complexity of the district meant it would take time to figure out how to arrive at the location.The red light district in Eden was far out from the city, and the trip would take more than ten minutes. Since the red light district was legalized, police were seen in the area. More importantly, one could see the disgusting scene of satisfied men dragging their tired bodies home.Elspeth held back her disdain and continued her journey until she heard a catcall that stopped her in her tracks.She turned around and saw a wicked-looking blond male. He had a balanced physique and the typical good looks of a foreign man. When he saw her Charic features, he whistled at her again.
“Hey, lovely! Are you alone?”
he asked her in bad Charish.She glared at him coldly.
“Don’t mess with me. I’m not the person to mess with.”Since she was in a foreign land, she switched to Edanian. When the man realized she could speak fluent Edanian, he knew she must have lived abroad for a long time. He behaved himself and took a few steps backward with an annoyed look.
“I just wanted to be friends. You don’t know how to appreciate kindness, do you?”Despite his claim, he had a disdainful look in his eyes. He knew the characteristics of women who visited the red light district and believed that she was immoral in some way-she was either here to sell herself or to seal some shady deals.She fisted her hands and stared at him in amusement.
“Why? Don’t you have friends?”The man’s face turned a deep shade of red.
“Watch your mouth!”Since Elspeth had just arrived in Eden, she did not want to get into trouble. Even though the man vexed her, she calmed herself and focused on getting her task done.”That’s enough. I don’t want a fight. Remember, be respectful next time.”
With that, she spun around, her wavy long hair slapping his face as though she was slapping him with her hand.The man was upset to let her leave, but he could not win the argument anyway. In the end, he gritted his teeth and endured the humiliation. He could not get into physical altercations in the red light district because he would be sent to jail. Elspeth probably had the guts to provoke him because she understood the law.After leaving the area, she hurriedly went in search of her workplace. Using her connections, she was able to arrive at the territory of the boss she was looking for.The rotten stench from the night before lingered in the air. Some cleaners were cleaning up the streets, but the mix of the disinfectant and the foul smell only produced a worse stink.There was no one around. She stepped forward and whispered to the cleaner,
“Hello, Madam. Is Logan Chapman here?”The woman had Charic features and was dressed modestly, but Elspeth decided to use Edanian with her.A moody glimmer flashed across the woman’s eyes when she heard that Elspeth was searching for Logan.
“This is not where you should be.”
Her wrinkles trembled as she spoke, as though she had a layer of dehydrated skin on her. It was disturbing to watch.Feeling perplexed, Elspeth took a few steps forward.”Back off! Back off now!”
When the woman recognized Elspeth’s features, she suddenly waved her broom like a nutcase, forcing her to retreat.”Why-“”You’re her child! Get lost!”Elspeth sensed that the woman must be referring to Helena.”May I know your relationship with my mom?”
Despite being treated horribly, Elspeth was polite to the woman.Seeing that, the woman calmed herself down but reacted in a hateful tone.
“How many times have I told you not to come here? Also, I don’t like you. Don’t talk to me or ask me questions.”Elspeth finally picked up on the sophisticated aura of the woman clad in the cleaner’s uniform. She wondered if the woman was once the daughter of a wealthy family.”Madam…”The woman seemed to be triggered upon hearing that title and flipped.
“How many times have I told you not to call me ‘Madam’?”Elspeth nodded and watched the woman pack her cleaning tools in a hurry. The woman left very soon as if she was fleeing.What a weird woman. She was curious about the oddity of the woman. However, the woman was wearing thick clothes that only revealed part of her face, so she could not identify her at all. Ah, never mind! If she doesn’t want to tell me, I will look for Logan Chapman myself.She walked down the road and finally arrived at the destination where she unearthed herself. Compared to other shops, the store in front of her looked smaller in size.Rumor had it that Logan Chapman was extremely wealthy and was the de facto ruler of the area with his influence. Hence, she was surprised to find him running a tiny store.She pushed the door open and immediately came to a realization when she spotted the understated but luxurious decor within. The other stores were ornate on the outside but average-looking on the inside. Logan’s store was different-each corner was exquisitely designed and attractive.While she was marveling at the interior, she heard a voice from behind.
“Are you the young lady who’s here for a job?”She turned around and found herself staring into a pair of old but weathered eyes….Callum alighted from the flight at 2.00AM in Eden. Soon, a chartered car arrived to pick him up and send him to the hotel. There, he quickly unpacked his belongings and took a nap.He thought he could immediately attend the meeting with the representatives of Bluestone Corp, but the company’s executive manager, who was meeting up with him, did not look keen to discuss collaboration right away.Sitting in a private lounge at the hotel, Callum glanced at his well-groomed counterpart in disgust.”I thought we agreed to discuss the collaboration after signing the contract. Is your CEO going back on their words?”
